Elmhurst Zoners Say No Rush To Redevelop

York Corridor Plans Called Long-term

May 27, 2000|By Denise Linke. Special to the Tribune.

Zoning changes proposed for the North York Road corridor in Elmhurst are designed to guide future development, not to force property owners to redevelop immediately, city Zoning and Planning Commission members told residents this week.

"We're talking about a proposal to let the city have a plan that may not be executed until two, five or 10 years from now," said Commissioner Alan Brinkmeier. "This is planning for our future as opposed to leaving [the area's zoning] as it is and giving up control."

The commissioners are evaluating a recommendation that the city rezone the York Road corridor north of 3rd Street from C2 to C4. That would enable developers to build four-story buildings with no setbacks and no off-street parking requirements, just as they can closer to the Metra station.

The C2 zoning limits building heights to three stories and requires builders to provide four parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of floor space.

Officials hope that the zoning change will encourage developers to turn York Road between 3rd and North Avenue into an old-fashioned, pedestrian-friendly retail district similar to the downtown section surrounding the Metra station.

"We would like to bring downtown Elmhurst to North Avenue," said Planning Administrator Nathaniel Werner. "Establishing the City Centre [business district] has been very effective over the years. Now we're trying to encourage redevelopment farther north into a downtown environment rather than a commercial strip center."

Reducing the parking requirement would enable developers to devote more land to retail space, increasing the properties' potential to generate sales tax revenue, he added. Representatives of the Citizen Advocacy Center said they worried that the city would force property owners into selling their lots to pave the way for a makeover of the North York Road area.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will make a recommendation on the proposal in June or July, then send the issue to the City Council's Development Committee, said commission Chairman Darryl Whistler. The City Council is expected to vote on the issue in August or September.